Light and matter
In his photo installations Corné Quartel isolates everyday objects from their surroundings. In the new context, the picture evokes a dialogue with the viewer, but also with its new habitat. With the stillness that arises Quartel tries to bridge the gap between the material and immaterial. The recurring circular motifs refer to a light source and evoke associations with a passage to another place. He seeks the essence of forms that resonate inwardly. Light as an independent visual factor represents for him the sublime, spiritual reality and inner beauty, which is created by the relationships between color, contrast, shape and movement. His work is evocative of the work of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, who also pursued the experience of' 'the sublieme'. In his essay "The Sublime is Now" Rothko says about the difference between the sublime of Romanticism of the 18th century and his version of the sublime in 1948: "Rather than making cathedrals from Christ, humanity or 'life', we make it out of ourselves, out of our own feelings." Quartel says: "I'm using light itself, which can be experienced both allegorically or instinctively, to connect the inner and outer. The installation 'Alignment' (2002), consists of a picture from a beam of light on a wall. The picture is hung on a wall and again highlighted by a spotlight. This creates a mysterious game with various realities. For Corné Quartel the light represents the human soul and the stone wall represents matter. However he does not want to dictate any meaning to the viewer but wants to leave room for personal experience. -- Hester Jenkings, Art Historian, Museum Drachten |
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